Looking
by Nigsea
Summary: A Valentine's Day Special. They're in High School, Ryoma's more popular, Sakuno's prettier and they're friends. But why is Sakuno worried?


_Hello, everyone! Well, this fic I wrote it today at 6:?? a.m. after trying to sleep but it was useless. So, I'm not so sure it's that good but I still wanted very much to write something for Valentine's Day which I actually forgot. I just realized it today. Please R&R._

Disclaimer: I don't own the Prince of Tennis.

Looking

Sakuno Ryuzaki a girl who had watched and observed the young prince of tennis since Middle School, still kept watching him in High School. The young girl knew many things about the guy she admired. She and Ryoma had become friends which was why she knew what happened in his life. Not that he actually talked much about it, she mostly knew because she saw the other girls and because of the rumors she heard. Most, if not all, of the girl population was after him; leaving her almost without hope that he might actually look at her.

The young prodigy had no changed his attitude towards the people around him; his appearance however was a completely different story. He had become more handsome and more than few magazines and scouts had actually talked to him about become a model. Of course, he rejected any offer that was irrelevant with tennis. His fan club had become bigger and wider and it annoyed him since many of his fan girls had become stalker and every week he had to buy school supplies, clothes, and personal stuff. He also had to clean up his locker, which he found very troublesome and thus he used a friends locker's in order to avoid cleaning so much.

Sakuno Ryuzaki kept her prince within her sight, since it had become the only way she could survive. Not that she had become obsessed with him to the point of needing to see him everyday in order to live or anything like that. It was just she was worried about him, and his security. He often got ambush but a horde of fan girls in the streets, or at the school entrance, not to mention tournaments.

Sakuno still did tennis in High School and she had become quiet good at it too. Her style did not stand out, exactly nor it was anything special but she always made it through every match. She did not have natural talent but her effort had sure paid. The practice sessions with Ryoma had sure helped and also what he had once said _'Talent is ten-percent and effort is ninety-percent of what is needed to excel in any sport.'_ He had been right, or maybe it was Inui-sempai, she had hunch Ryoma had quoted him.

She stayed after school practicing by herself against the wall but her mind and heart were not in it. She was thinking about Ryoma.

'_I wonder if he's at his home now. I hope the girls didn'__t ambush him like last week.'_ She thought worriedly and missed the ball she was supposed to hit.

"You're thinking about something else. You're mind isn't into it." A familiar voice said from behind her.

Sakuno immediately snapped out of her daze as she turned around to see no other than the person she had just been thinking about.

"Ryoma-kun…" She said still perplexed to see him.

Ryoma smirked at her expression. "Che. Anyone who'd see you would think you saw a ghost?"

Her cheeks turned darker and she looked down trying to avoid his piercing feline eyes.

"Y-you j-just surprise me. That's all." She stuttered obviously nervous, on her mind she was hitting herself for doing so. It had cost her three years to stop stuttering around him and now she was doing it again.

"Let's have a match." He said suddenly after a brief pause.

"Eehh?!" She exclaimed utterly startled at his proposal. "W-wha? Wait! W-what did you say? I don't think I heard right."

Ryoma sighed slightly annoyed at having to repeat himself. "I said, let's have a match." He said slowly making sure she understood every single word he said.

"Okay, I did heard right." Sakuno murmured to herself. "But why?" She asked him.

"I feel like it?" He turned his back to her and walked towards the tennis court.

'_I match with Ryoma-kun…I don't want to. He's gonna pulverize me.'_ She thought as she walked slowly towards the court. Her face was pale and it was visible she was scared. Needless to say, even though she had become a good tennis player she had yet to realize it. Also the memory of the first time Ryoma had checked her form, and she had mistakenly thought it was match and made of fool of herself by tripping over nothing, had to do with her confidence now. She had not stand against Ryoma on the court since that time when they were twelve.

"Hey, hurry up!" Ryoma called from the court.

They started playing and at first Sakuno just let Ryoma get a lot of points but then her body just moving on it own accord. Ryoma smirked satisfied when he saw that she was playing for real and not thinking about anything but the game right now. Her movements were swift and elegant; her attacks were strong and accurate, not easy to hit. She had definitely improved and become rather a good player.

The real reason why he had stayed later than he usually did and asked her to play with him was because he had noticed that something was bugging her. He was not the type of person to ask her what was worrying her but he wanted to let at least some of her stress out. What could be a better way to let the stress out than with a friendly tennis match? It would keep her in practice and let her mind relax for a little while, like killing two birds with one shot.

They kept playing till the sunset and the school was about to close. There was no winner or loser and Sakuno looked more cheerful and relieved. His plan had apparently worked well. He had noticed that something had been bothering her for a long time now but he just ignored it. _'Her problems are her problems and they have nothing to do with me.'_ He had thought but her worried face had been bugging him for a long time and he decided to take action; although, he had been a bit reluctant at first.

Now seeing her smiling, worried-free face left him with a sense of accomplishment he had never felt. It made him happy seeing her happy for some reason he did not understand. Actually, he did understand it but he just did not want to admit that he thought that he felt attracted to the girl walking right beside him.

Sakuno turned towards him and smiled at him.

"Thanks for today, Ryoma-kun." She said brightly.

Ryoma stared at her with his usual stoic face but inside he smiled. She had changed so much since middle school. Her features were more delicate, her frame was still petite, and she had the body of a woman. She no longer tight her hair in two braids but one long one on her back. She had become so beautiful that every day she had a different guy confessing to her. It really bothered him. He did not want any guy talking alone with her, let alone guys confessing to her. Of course, she had rejected every single one of them which made him feel relief.

"Why are you thanking me?" He asked looking straight ahead.

"For playing with me." She answered simply.

Ryoma shrugged it off. "I just felt like playing with someone."

"Still, you stayed later than usual." Sakuno said. "You usually go home with your teammates.

"Whatever."

Sakuno knew that part of the reason was probably because most girls would push their chocolates to him. They would force him to take them and even though he liked chocolate he did not want to take chocolate from his fan girls.

Sakuno smiled happily. She was really enjoying the company of Ryoma and walking home with him, just the two of them. The two of them walking home, _on_ Valentine's Day.

'_I'm walking home with Ryoma-kun.'_ Her brains started to processed. _'This is my chance.'_

"Ryoma-kun…" She began causing Ryoma to look her way.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I know how much you like chocolate but did not take the chocolate from those girls…so I thought I-I'd g-give y-you…um…the chocolate I made." Her voice started failing her as she continued talking and ended up almost inaudible.

Ryoma actually stopped hearing after 'girls' since the noise of the cars passing by, the murmured of people walking down the street, the honks of the cars, etc.

"What did you said?" He asked her.

"I made some chocolate and I was wondering if you would like to have it." She said quietly but loud enough for him to hear it.

Ryoma had not been expecting to receive chocolate from her. Since, doesn't usually the girls give chocolate to the boy they like? Did she actually she like him? Hope reappeared in his heart. He had lost it after they had become close friends and she stopped stuttering in front of him. He knew that she stuttered because he made her nervous because she liked him back then. Then she stopped and he thought that because he had been pushing her away she had given up and stopped liking him. He had realized his feelings late, he had thought.

Now, maybe this meant that he had a chance to reclaimed what he thought was rightfully his. That is to say, to reclaimed her heart and make her his girlfriend. However, a thought passed through his mind.

"Is this obligation chocolate?" He asked once she had handed the small red box to him. They were now standing in front of Sakuno's residence since she had not dared give him her chocolate in public.

Sakuno cheeks turned crimson and she looked down to avoid his eyes. She did not whether to answer truthfully or not. She had made it meaning it to be obligation chocolate but…

"It's just the chocolate Ryoma-kun likes, so why does it matter?" Sakuno opted to avoid the question.

"Because it does. Is it obligation chocolate or not?" He asked looking straight at her eyes, which she tried to evade so desperately.

An extended pause was made which only filled the sounds of the city.

"No…" She replied at last.

Ryoma felt happy but did not show it, at least not yet. He had to tease her for making him wait for that answered and making him freeze.

"So… you do like me?" He teased with a cocky smirk.

Sakuno's face turned completely red at his question. She had the face of a person who wanted to be swallowed by the earth at that moment or at least disappear.

She started looking for her keys to open the door and get away from him. She did not have the courage to face him.

"You do like me, don't you?" Ryoma continued with his teasing when Sakuno just remained quiet.

'_Why did he have to find out now?'_ She thought flustered still looking for her keys which seemed to be hiding from her.

"Anyway, thanks for the chocolates." He said when he decided he had teased her enough. "I'll see you at school tomorrow."

Sakuno finally found her keys and as she was about to opened the door Ryoma pulled her towards him and away from the door. She yelped in surprised at his sudden action.

"I haven't thank you properly for the chocolates." He said in a serious tone as he looked intensely at her eyes.

"Eh?" was all that she could muster before he brought his lips against hers.

His arms swarmed on her waist pulling her closer. She was so shocked that she did not have the chance to do anything, not even answer his kiss. He released her after a minute. "I'll see you at school tomorrow." He said nonchalantly. "By the way, make sure to wait for me because we're going to school together. I'll be here at eight sharp. Oh, and don't talk to any guy when you're alone."

Sakuno was left dumbfounded and just waved in a daze at his retreating back. It was not until she could no longer see him that she acknowledged the meaning of his words. He had meant to say that he would pick her up to go to school because she was now his girlfriend.

* * *

_So, how was it? Did you like it? hate it? review please!_


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